Dr Steven R. Goldstein MD is the co-author of the book “The Estrogen Alternative”, the first book of its kind addressing the use of synthetic hormones, and an expert hormone specialist in NYC.
Why would a woman need hormone replacement therapy and synthetic hormones? The answer is because as a woman ages, less Estrogen and Progesterone is produced by her body. This produces two major symptoms - vaginal dryness and hot flashes. Other symptoms associated with a lack of estrogen include a lack of concentration, hot flashes, foggy memory, sleep disturbances, irritability and so on. This is known as the menopause stage of life for a woman and the aforementioned are symptoms of the menopause.
In menopause, there are even greater symptoms to consider than just those mentioned previously, which are all very obvious and felt by women. There are unseen consequences of a lack of estrogen brought on by menopause. There are over three hundred tissues from brain to bone to skin in a woman’s body that contain receptors for Estrogen. All of a woman’s most important body tissues contain Estrogen receptors. When the secretion of Estrogen changes, a woman’s health and well-being reflect those changes. Breasts, skin and blood vessels rely on Estrogen to stay flexible and toned. Estrogen keeps the uterus, vagina and the base of the bladder moist.
There are also sites in the brain where Estrogen receptors are found. Therefore when a woman enters menopause and the body produces less estrogen, there is a significant impact on a woman’s overall health above and beyond the symptoms like hot flashes.
Consider estrogen and a woman’s heart. In survey after survey, women list breast cancer or other cancer as their primary health concern. But heart disease is still the number one killer of women. One in three women over sixty-five will develop the disease. It is estimated that 500,000 a year die from coronary artery disease. That is twice as many women as die each year from cancer. In Nurses’ Health study, it was found that women who took estrogen after menopause had about half the incidence of fatal heart attacks as those not on hormone therapy.
To combat this decrease in estrogen during menopause and the resulting symptoms, disease and adverse impact, Dr Goldstein, a Menopause specialist in NYC, prescribes pills, patches or creams to supply estrogen synthetically. The amount of estrogen prescribed is only a small fraction of what the ovaries normally produce, however it is enough to help alleviate the symptoms of a lack of Estrogen.
If you are a menopausal woman struggling with the effects of menopause and the loss of estrogen, then contact the office of Dr Steven R Goldstein MD for a consultation to determine if hormone replacement therapy will work for you.
